Presently, those clinically used as artificial blood vessels are non-absorbable polymers such as Gore-Tex. Such artificial blood vessels can exhibit extremely similar physical properties to those of blood vessels and have achieved a certain result in short-term revascularization. However, an artificial blood vessel using a non-absorbable polymer has a problem that a foreign matter semi-permanently remains in the body and it results in easy formation of a blood clot and therefore it is necessary to continuously administer an anticoagulant or the like. Further, particularly in the case of use for a child, there are problems that it is needed to undergo surgery again due to size mismatch as the child grows and that re-surgery is required because of calcification of the artificial blood vessel.
To deal with the problems, recently, methods for regeneration of tissues by so-called regenerative medical techniques have been tried. That is, trials for regenerating patient own tissues by utilizing the cell proliferation mechanism of the patient itself in the scaffold of an artificial blood vessel are performed by transplantation of the artificial blood vessel which is easy to be penetrated with cells into a defect of a blood vessel.
In order to apply such a regenerative medical technique to a revascularization technique, the present inventors have developed a material for revascularization containing a foamed body including a bioabsorbable polymer and a reinforcing material including a bioabsorbable polymer as a core material incorporated in the foamed body (Patent Document 1). With respect to this material for revascularization, the foamed body becomes a scaffold where cells are firmly bonded and the reinforcing material plays a role of keeping strength enough to stand the blood flow during the time until a blood vessel is regenerated after the transplantation and also plays a role as a reinforcing material standing sutura. Since both of the foamed body and the reinforcing material include bioabsorbable polymers, the materials are absorbed after revascularization and thus it is made no need to continuously use an anticoagulant or the like in the late term. Furthermore, it is also expected that the regenerated blood vessel can be grown since the regenerated blood vessel is of own tissues. Actually, the material for revascularization has been regarded to be extremely significant in terms of clinical use. However, for actual clinical application, needless to say, a further improved revascularization efficiency and reliability have to be aimed.